Page 236 - the-iliad

spear.’
With these words he led the way, and the others followed
after with a cry that rent the air. Then Jove the lord of thun-
der sent the blast of a mighty wind from the mountains
of Ida, that bore the dust down towards the ships; he thus
lulled the Achaeans into security, and gave victory to Hec-
tor and to the Trojans, who, trusting to their own might and
to the signs he had shown them, essayed to break through
the great wall of the Achaeans. They tore down the breast-
works from the walls, and overthrew the battlements; they
upheaved the buttresses, which the Achaeans had set in
front of the wall in order to support it; when they had pulled
these down they made sure of breaking through the wall,
but the Danaans still showed no sign of giving ground; they
still fenced the battlements with their shields of ox-hide,
and hurled their missiles down upon the foe as soon as any
came below the wall.
The two Ajaxes went about everywhere on the walls
cheering on the Achaeans, giving fair words to some while
they spoke sharply to any one whom they saw to be remiss.
‘My friends,’ they cried, ‘Argives one and all—good bad and
indifferent, for there was never fight yet, in which all were of
equal prowess—there is now work enough, as you very well
know, for all of you. See that you none of you turn in flight
towards the ships, daunted by the shouting of the foe, but
press forward and keep one another in heart, if it may so be
that Olympian Jove the lord of lightning will vouchsafe us
to repel our foes, and drive them back towards the city.’
Thus did the two go about shouting and cheering the